Women's World Cup 2027: Potential Hosts, Dates for Selection Process and More

With the 2023 Women's World Cup coming to an end on Sunday, many players are already looking ahead to the 2027 tournament.

Australian star forward Sam Kerr is among them.

"I hope to be here. I am only 29. I think most of us will still be here if we have the opportunity," Kerr told reporters before Saturday's third-place game against Sweden.

Australia and New Zealand are nearly finished with their hosting duties for the WWC, but who they'll hand off to remains unclear. FIFA is still in the early stages of the selection process, which won't be finalized until next May.

The initial deadline for expressing interest in hosting the 2027 Women's World Cup was in May, and four interested parties emerged. You'll find a look at the potential hosts, key dates for the selection process and what happens next below.

Selection Process Timeline

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BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 7: Two official Fifa Women's World Cup balls lined up ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between England and Nigeria at Brisbane Stadium on August 7, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

May 19, 2023: Deadline for Member Associations to Submit a Bidding Agreement

July/August 2023: Bid Workshop and Observer Program During 2023 WWC

December 8, 2023: Deadline for Potential Hosts to Submit Full Bids

February 2024: FIFA On-Site Inspection Visits

May 2024: Publication of FIFA's Bid Evaluation Report

Quarter 2 of 2024: Designation of bids by the FIFA Council

May 17, 2024: Appointment of 2027 WWC Host(s)

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*All dates via FIFA.com.

Potential Hosts

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Estadio Azteca in Mexico City

According to FIFA, four potential hosts or host groups have entered the initial bidding process.

The Royal Belgian Football Association, the Royal Netherlands Football Association and the German Football Association have expressed interest in jointly hosting the 2027 tournament. The U.S. Soccer Federation and the Mexican Football Association have also expressed interest in sharing 2027 hosting duties.

The Brazilian Football Association and South African Football Association have each entered individual bids, rounding out the four finalists.

While it's uncommon for either the men's or women's World Cup to be held across multiple countries, that could be the future FIFA envisions for its biggest stage. The 2002 men's tournament was jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, while the 2026 men's tournament will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Another multi-nation WWC would be quite entertaining, especially for fans traveling to the event.

Having the tournament in Brazil—which hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics—would mark the first Women's World Cup to be played in South America. South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan believes that holding the tournament in Africa would help increase the global reach of the women's game.

"Of the global revenue for football, 80% goes to Europe. So Africa is on the margins. Now, if we sit back and do nothing, the same pattern will emerge in women's football and we will struggle to close the gap," Jordaan said, per Mark Gleeson of Reuters. "If we want football to be truly global, then we must increase the competitiveness of football throughout the world."

There are three intriguing options now, though FIFA Congress will choose between, at most, three.

What Happens Next?

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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - FEBRUARY 25: A FIFA logo seen near the headquarter Home of FIFA ahead of tomorrow's Extraordinary FIFA Congress to elect a new FIFA President at Hallenstadion on February 25, 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

The four potential hosts (or groups) have expressed their interest. After evaluating the operations and events at the 2023 Women's World Cup, they'll have until December 8 to submit full bids. From there, FIFA will engage in what is expected to be a thorough selection process.

"In line with FIFA's commitment to women's football, this bidding process sets new standards and puts us on track to host an outstanding event in 2027 on and off the pitch," FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said in a statement.

Once full bids are submitted, FIFA will establish a Bid Evaluation Task Force to examine all aspects of the proposals. On-site inspections will take place in February, and the committee will publish its report in May.

FIFA will then select up to three bids on which members of FIFA Congress will vote. Voting results will be announced on May 17, 2024.

While it does indeed seem like a thorough and fair selection process for the 2024 WWC, the timing is curious.

The host country or countries will have just over three years to fully prepare to play host. By comparison, Canada, Mexico and the United States learned in 2018 that they would be hosting the 2026 men's tournament.